America's House of Commons on the World Wide Web:
Unabashedly Pro-American, Pro-Christian, and Pro-Freedom!

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

I Had a Revelation

Fever-induced, and only gaining some clarity as I recover from my illness, but:

This time is the Rand Paul Moment

The time is right - younger voters are willing to entertain all sorts of hogwash, just for the promise of a better future.

After 2020 (or 2024, if Donald proves to be a cannier player than I think he is), Paul may actually have a decent shot at the top spot. There are younger aspirants to fight off, like Cruz and Rubio (not to mention the MANY RINOS who will try to seize the opportunity), but he will have an unprecedented audience.

He has only ONE thing to do to reach that goal.

Promise a gradual and continual end to Social Security. Within a timeframe of around 10 years.

Here is how he could do it. Immediately, stop COLA payments. And, tie benefits to the economy - perhaps the employment rate - if it goes down, so do the payments. It's a one-way ratchet that will have the rooting for a better economy.

Stop benefits for those under the age of 18 on SSI, who cannot show documented evidence of money spent to improve/handle that condition. That will allow those with evidence of an actual condition to receive assistance. For working parents (again, citizens or those legally present), increase their deductions on the standard form for that kid. With the standard deduction being already $2500, this will mean a lot. Figure out multipliers for someone suffering from multiple problems - physical problems, that is. Many disabled children have multiple disabilities.

Over the course fo 5 years decrease the amount allowed to be refunded for people who are not working at least 1/2 time, if it exceeds the actual amount paid in. No "Head of Household" money over amount paid. This will hit the "I'm making too much money to work for a living" crowd.

My revelation about Libertarianism? It comes down to 3 Guiding Principles:

You are free to do what you want - provided you are willing to take the consequences. No more legislation to protect idiots. No more Nanny State. You may attain a Learner's Permit on citizenship at 18:

Eligible to vote if self-supporting at a job paying into SS - bring in the pay stubs with you at the ballot box.

Any crimes committed before 18, UNLESS CAPITAL, will automatically be expunged 3 years after commission. Anything you do after that - counts.

3 comments:

To eliminate Social Security, regardless of time frame, the mandatory first step is to end the payroll tax, permanently. This is vital for a simple reason: the tax was instituted, and "separated" from other taxes, to create a sense of entitlement in those who paid it: "I paid into the system, so I deserve my benefits." Absent that first step, there will never be sufficient electoral concurrence to agree to the termination of the system.

Agree with Fran here. My wages have been garnished for 30-odd years now to pay for welfare for retirees (see Flemming vs. Nestor if you think SS isn't just another welfare program). That money is *gone*. If I get anything out of SS, it'll come from the paychecks of younger people who are still working and trying to make ends meet.

I no more like the idea of being a thief than I do of being robbed. It's a crummy situation for people who foolishly believed government promises that would have to be met by later generations, but gullibility on their part does not constitute a moral obligation (and should not constitute a financial obligation) on my part.

It is a bit large but if you want to dig into it. In 2013 I wrote a Federal Budget. Whole thing, not like Paul Ryan's outline of things, but a line by line evaluation of the entire 1200+ items of the Federal Budget. Then I had it delivered to Congress, the White House and several national and local media outlets. It include reference to the spreadsheets for the full budget and the recommendations for policy changes. One was the elimination of Social Security...though on a longer time frame than your suggestion.